The Hetalia Academy for Gifted Youngsters
by Dusty2004
Summary: When Lovino Vargas is taken from his quiet life in Italy and whisked away to a school where superpowers are real, he thinks he has found a place where he belongs. But something is looming in the darkness, and it will take Lovino and all his friends to stop it. - Human/super AU -
1. Chapter 1-Lovino

CHAPTER ONE- _in which we meet Lovino_.

**a/n: I do not own Hetalia, because if I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.**

**This is my first fanfic, so please be nice! Enjoy!**

Lovino Vargas walked slowly home from school.

The whitewashed houses all around him made his head dizzy and his eyes ache. It was the middle of summer, a time Lovino usually loved, but today he hated it.

In fact, he hated a lot of things today; the bouncy attitude of his brother, wishing him good luck, the snooty kids in his class who made his life hell, and the stupid teachers that made his bag so heavy.

The hot Italian sun burnt the back of his neck as he stopped by the small house where he lived with his family. Only he and his brother would be home, as their parent were visiting Lovino and Feliciano's aunt in Naples. They wouldn't be home for a couple of days, leaving Lovino with the task of caring for his younger brother.

Surprising himself, Lovino found that he dreaded the prospect. Why? His brother was always so nice, and nothing could make Feli so happy as to spend two whole days with his elder brother! But still, Lovino shook his head to clear his thoughts, and then pushed open the front door.

_That's another weird thing… _he thought to himself. _Why didn't Feli lock the door? _But then again, his eleven-year-old brother was very ditsy and forgetful, so it was probably nothing.

"I'm home, Feli!" he called as he stepped into the blissfully cool front hall. No answer. Where was Feli? Had he fallen asleep? Lovino wouldn't put it past him, but his brother was a very light sleeper, so a sense of foreboding crept into his mind as he peered into the kitchen. It was empty. No Feli.

There was no reason for Lovi's brother not to be at home; his school finished at noon, and anyway, Feliciano would never leave the house without notifying Lovino first. That meant Feli **was **home, but as Lovino wandered through the empty rooms, his heart sank. Bathroom– no Feli. Shared bedroom– No Feli. Kitchen, toilet, garden- No Feli.

Lovino called out, thinking that perhaps his little brother was playing a trick on him. "Feli!" Again, no answer. He tried once more, getting rather annoyed now. If this was a joke, it was a very poor one.

"Feliciano Vargas, come here RIGHT NOW!" he shouted, and to his surprise he was answered by a small shriek. _Feli._ Lovino sprinted to the small window of their shared bedroom, and looked out to see a red car draw up outside.

Lovino took the stairs three at a time, and in his haste to get downstairs, tripped, smashing his face against the smooth stone floor. Ignoring the blood running down his face, Lovino wrenched open the door to see a man – no, teenager – with blond hair carrying his brother's _unconscious _form into a car.

Seething with rage, Lovino shouted, and the boy turned towards him, depositing Feli on the cobbled street. There was no one about; it was 2:00 and the heat had driven everyone indoors. Lovino stared in horror as he pulled a pistol out of one of the numerous pockets on his army-style green coat.

They stood like that for a few tense seconds, Lovino with blood running down from his broken nose, and the stranger, with his handgun pointed point-blanc at Lovino's chest.

Then a lot of things happened at once. Lovino's heart skipped a beat as the pistol rose out of the stranger's hand. But the boy seemed equally surprised; he was staring at the gun hovering a few feet over his head like it was a miracle of nature.

But then his expression changed to one of determination, and jumping, he grabbed the gun, once again pointing it at Lovino's chest.

The stranger's eyes seemed to say _I'm sorry_, before he pulled the trigger, and everything went dark.


	2. Chapter 2- Where are we?

CHAPTER TWO- in which Lovino is angry and confused.

**Hello again! I'm sick, so I decided to update the story earlier than usual! There might even be a third chapter today!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Hetalia **

**Enjoy!**

Lovino woke up lying on a hospital bed, with blood on his face, a splitting headache, and a very bad temper.

The first thing he saw was his little brother, sitting on an identical bed next to him, and talking animatedly to _the stranger who had shot Lovino._

Lovino growled, and tried to sit up, but Feli noticed and came over leant in very close.

"LOVI!" came the high-pitched squeal, "you're awake!"

"Calm down Feliciano." Ordered the blond-haired stranger, like he'd known Feli for years. Lovino growled at this, and the boy stepped back.

"Ve~" whined Feli, looking back at him. "What's wrong with Fratello?" He came to sit quietly on the bed next to Lovi, handing him a glass of water.

"That damn B*stard shot me!" groaned Lovino, trying again to sit up.

"Language please, Lovino." The boy had a German accent, and since Lovino had last seen him, he had changed into what looked like a uniform, with a white shirt and grey blouse, topped by an orange and red tie.

"Also, " he continued, striding up to them "I only knocked you out. I'm very sorry, but you must agree, that it was necessary under the circumstances."

Lovino glared at him. "Where are we, potato?" he asked, coming up with the nickname on the spot.

It was Feliciano who answered. "Ve~, Ludwig says this is a special School! He also says that we're here because we're special! Maybe we have powers! Ludwig was just coming to get us!"

Lovino blinked, trying to process all the information he'd been suddenly given. Before _Ludwig_ (Lovino assumed this was the blond boy's name) could explain further, however, a second boy entered the room. He was wearing the same uniform as Ludwig, but the most striking features were his White hair and bright red eyes. He was an Albino.

"Bruder!" he called to Ludwig, followed by a sentence in rapid German. Ludwig nodded and turned to Feliciano and Lovino. "I need to go" he apologized. "Put on your uniforms, then walk through to see headmaster Roma. It's the second corridor on the left. I will see you later." And he left the room with the other boy, the latter shooting the Italians a curious look as he walked out.

Lovino looked where Ludwig had pointed, and, sure enough, there were two neatly folded uniforms there, almost identical. Walking over, Feli grabbed both piles and brought them back, and when he smiled brightly at his brother Lovino felt some of his anger dissipate.

"Here you go!" Feli placed one pile on Lovino's bed, and started to change into his. Lovino, after a few seconds of hesitation, pulled his bloodstained shirt over his head. He winced as the fabric passed over his bloody nose, and lifted his hand up to feel it. Yep, definitely broken.

As he pulled his vest up too, he carefully examined the pinprick–like wound on his tanned chest. The German guy must have used a tranquilizer dart to knock him out, he supposed, massaging his stiff muscles.

Feli helped him put on the uniform, and he examined himself in a nearby mirror.

It was a very nice uniform, actually, Lovino thought. A white shirt with long sleeves worn under a grey blouse with a diamond-shaped emblem (presumably the school's) in the top corner. Dark grey jeans and black shoes, along with a coloured tie completed the look. Lovino's tie was orange and red (like the German boy's) and Feli's was two shades of purple.

There was also a sink in the room, so Lovino could finally clean the dried blood off his face. Then, he combed his hair, (the annoying curl sticking up as usual) and set off to the door.

Outside the room, a hallway stretched about ten meters, with a few white doors leading off it. The door Lovino and His brother had just come out of was marked:

**Infirmary room**

In big bold letters, while the others said things like: nurse's office, medical storage, and power room. Lovino assumed that they must be in the hospital wing. As the boys began to walk, the hallway branched off, and they took the second corridor on the left, as Ludwig had instructed them.

This hallway was much shorter than the previous one, and only had one door coming off it. It was marked: HEADMASTER ROMA. Feli knocked and pushed open the door, while Lovi stood apprehensively behind him, ready to run if necessary.

The door swung open, and the Vargas brothers saw two men sitting at a wooden desk. The man with brown hair looked up and smiled.

"Ah, boys," he greeted them "There you are." He smiled wider.

"Welcome to the Hetalia Academy for gifted youngsters!"


	3. Chapter 3- The Academy

CHAPTER 3- the academy

**-Gasp! - Two updates in one day!? Well, don't get too used to it…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own hetalia…**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The brown-haired man turned out to be Headmaster Roma. The other man, who had blonde hair tied in a ponytail, was the deputy head and PE teacher; Mr. Beilschmidt.

Once introductions were out of the way, Mr. Roma sat the boys down, and proceeded to tell them exactly why they were there.

"The Hetalia academy is a secret school for boys and girls under the age of 18. But not just any children, no. All the students at this school are- let's say- Gifted. We have talents that are unique, and the reason this school was founded was to teach, raise and help these extraordinary Children.

"I apologize for your manner of being brought here. While we could have applied for a normal transfer, It is better that less people know you're here. Your parents, however, have been notified of your arrival here; we contacted them shortly before their departure. I'm afraid you will only be able to visit them during the school holidays, but it is for your AND their safety. However, you can contact them via video call anytime you wish. Do you have any questions before we continue?"

Feliciano was at this point practically bouncing up and down in his seat, but Lovino, always the more responsible of the two, was still confused.

"Why are we here?" he asked.

"Straight to the point, I see." The head master chuckled. "Well, let me explain more clearly. Every generation, one gifted is born in every country. Very rarely, there can be two for one country, this almost always occurs in siblings, such as your brother and yourself. You two represent Italy, the country where, if I am not mistaken, you were both born. I myself was the Italian representative last generation, so I welcome you both with open heart."

"No," said Lovino pointedly, interrupting the man, "why are **we, **me and Feli, here?"

"Ah," said Roma, scratching his head. He peered at Feli, who was still bouncing excitedly in his seat. Scrunching his eyes up, Roma smiled again. "Well, I believe your brother knows, or at least suspects, am I right, Bambino?"

Feli sat still for once, and took a serious look onto his face. "Yes sir" he said, "I can make people around me feel how I feel! When I feel happy, they feel happy to! And when I feel angry, then I can make them feel angry too!" here he looked at his brother "sometimes I use it on Lovi when he's upset!"

Roma smiled "and how about you, Lovi? Are you aware of what you can do?"

Lovino thought very hard. As far as he knew, getting into trouble regularly was not a gift, at least not a super one. There were also times when he felt he could sleep for a year, but that didn't sound right either. He shook his head, at a loss.

Roma's smile grew wider again. "Think back to today, Lovino, he said, chuckling slightly.

Lovino thought and thought. And then he remembered the pistol, and how it had risen a few feet out of the stranger (who he now knew to be Ludwig)'s hand. Guns don't normally do that … so-

"I think I know," he answered.

Feli whipped his head around, and stared at his brother.

"Ve~, what is it Fratello?" He squeaked, "What can you do?"

"Why don't you show your brother what you can do?" asked Roma, holding up a pen. "I can see he's dying to know, and besides, I will be good practice!"

"But how?" asked Lovino, looking perplexed. "I've never done it before, well, apart from this morning"

"Then how did you do it this morning?" answered Roma simply, brandishing the pen in front of Lovino's face.

Lovino cast his mind back to the hot Italian morning, imagining himself back there, on the deserted street, with Ludwig pointing a gun at him. In his mind's eye, the pen that Roma was holding became the pistol, and Lovino focused on it, determined to stop the stranger shooting him, and to protect his brother.

He closed his eyes, directing all his anger, frustration and weariness into the pen/gun. But try as he might, when he opened his eyes, the pen was still there, hovering in front of his eyes. _Hang on- hovering? _He looked down at Headmaster Roma. Yes, looked **down.**

He was floating six feet in the air.


	4. Chapter 4- Alfred and Kiku

CHAPTER 4- more characters! Yay!

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I still don't own hetalia... **

**Here's a chapter from Feli's point of view!**

**Enjoy!**

Feli gasped and clapped. His Fratello could fly! More than just that, he could make other things fly as well, judging by the fact that the pen was hovering near Lovino's eye level. Mr. Roma was also clapping, smiling fondly, and even Mr. Beilschmidt, who hadn't said a word, or even moved at all since the boys had arrived, was staring open mouthed at Feli's brother.

Lovino himself was obviously completely shocked. Unlike Feliciano, who had discovered his powers a few years ago and had been using them subtly ever since, His elder brother hadn't known till now.

Mr. Roma stood up, and walked over to Lovino, saying: "well done, well done! If you relax, you should come back down. Maybe try thinking about something else, and that way you will probably float slowly down."

Unfortunately, Lovino obviously didn't have much control over his powers yet, for instead of floating slowly, Lovi crashed downwards to the floor, right into the strong arms of Mr. Beilschmidt. Blushing and glaring at no one in particular, Lovino straightened up, but as soon as Feli concentrated on him, his Fratello was smiling again.

Mr. Roma beamed again. "Now," he smiled, turning to the deputy head. "I think it is time that these boys got some sleep! Mr. Beilschmidt, would you be so kind as to go and fetch Alfred Jones and Kiku Honda? They are in the Rec. room, I believe." Mr. Beilschmidt nodded and stood up.

Feli watched in wonder as the blond-grey man opened the office door and-disappeared! He vanished, leaving nothing but a blur behind him. However, a few seconds later he was back.

"They are on their way." He said, speaking for the first time that evening, before he once again opened the door and disappeared, vanishing down the hallway.

"How-what-who?" stuttered Feli, looking after the PE teacher. Mr. Roma chuckled. "Super speed." He answered simply, leaving the boys to puzzle over it for a few seconds. Just then, there was a knock at the door, and two boys arrived, one with black hair and one with blond hair and bespectacled blue eyes.

They both looked rather out of breath, obviously having run to the office after being notified.

Roma looked at them approvingly. "Good, good." He said, before turning to the Vargas brothers. "Lovino, Feliciano, This is kiku and Alfred. They will take you to the dorms, and explain a little bit about how the school works. I will see you tomorrow morning in assembly." And he handed them both a small paper envelope.

As he opened the door to see them out, Mr. Roma turned to Feli with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Keep up the Italian spirit, lad!" And then he was gone.

As soon as they were out of the office, the blond boy dropped his calm Façade. Nearly knocking the other boy over, he sprang round to face the Italians, putting out his hand to shake.

"Hi there dudes!" he exclaimed loudly. "The name's Alfred F. Jones, But you can call me the HERO! Because, you know, I do heroic stuff!" Feliciano grabbed Alfred's hand. "Ve~" he smiled "I'm Feliciano Vargas, and this," He pointed to Lovi, "is my big brother Lovino!"

Alfred grabbed his hand, and shook it so enthusiastically Feli feared his arm might come out of his socket. This boy obviously had some sort of super strength! The other Teenager had faced them too, giving a small bow before introducing himself too.

"Konichiwa, Feliciano and Lovino. My name Is Kiku Honda. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Throughout this whole exchange, Lovino had remained silent, But Feli, ever the perceptive one, could see he was bursting with questions. Surprisingly enough, the one he burst out with was: "why are our ties different colours?"

This was something Feli had been wondering about too. The two boys, Alfred and Kiku, were also wearing ties Identical to the Vargas brothers'. Kiku's was Purple like Feli's, and Alfred's red and orange matched Lovino's.

Alfred began walking again, and they rounded the corner into another hallway. "Well," he said, "here at the academy, there are four houses; Fire, water, earth and Air. Which house you are placed in corresponds to your gift."

Here kiku took over. "Air is for mental powers, such as mine and Feliciano's. Water, the blue, is for students with sensory powers, powers that affect their or other's bodies in some way. Fire," here he pointed at Lovino and Alfred, the latter still grinning excitedly, "is for Powers that would be useful in a fight. Things like super strength, super speed, and weapon use. And finally earth. Earth students are really rare; there are only five of them here. They have gifts that control or manipulate one of the elements."

By the time this little speech was over, they had reached the end of the hallway. Kiku turned to Feli again, and looked him in the eyes. "You are wondering what is in the envelope, Hai?" Feli gasped. Could Kiku read minds? But he nodded anyway, and the Asian boy tore open the envelope. Inside was a neat timetable in Mr. Roma's handwriting, a map of the school, and finally a small slip of paper that read:

_**Feliciano Vargas**_

_House: air_

_Dorm number: 2_

_Dorm mates: Kiku Honda and Yao Wang._

Kiku studied the paper for a few seconds, before saying to Alfred that he would take Feliciano, and striding off straight down the hallway.

After saying goodnight to Lovino, Feli followed him. They turned right and came to a door that read AIR 2.

Kiku pushed the door open, but they were met with a wall of blackness. Feli had just enough time to see two eyes in the dark, before he fell forward into the empty space.


	5. Chapter 5- The Dorms

CHAPTER 5- In which we see the weirdness of Hetalia.

**Disclaimer: nope, I still don't own Hetalia…**

* * *

"Aiyaah!" came an irritated shout. "Who turned out the lights, Aru?! And if it's Natalya, GET OUT, ARU!"

There was a click, and the room was instantly flooded with bright light, revealing a blonde girl in a blue nightdress. "Aiyaah!" shouted Yao again, while Feli blinked his eyes to clear them of the white spots that were dancing in front of his retina. He took in a smallish room with three single beds. On one of them sat a Chinese looking boy in red pyjamas, with his eyes fixed on the girl.

"Natalya-Chan, if you would please leave the room...?" kiku was advancing very slowly towards her, but suddenly the girl darted forward, and, grabbing Feli by the collar, she pulled him up. "Don't touch Ivan Braginski," her voice sounded like a snake's rather than a girl, and Feli saw visions of terrible things pass before his eyes, visions of Lovino lying on the ground, covered in blood, his parents- all of them, dead.

The girl let go of him with her razor sharp nails, and he slid to the floor. Then she slipped round the corner and disappeared as quietly as she had come. A few seconds later, another girl with short brown hair tied in a ribbon poked her head through the door, saying "shhhhhhh… she's sleeping" the girl came in and perched on the empty bed.

Kiku smiled. "Arigato, Bella," he said. " Everyone, this is Feliciano Vargas; he arrived today." Feli, still recovering from the onslaught of the crazy blond girl, waved feebly, while Yao and Bella introduced themselves. "Nihau, my name is Yao Wang. I represent China, and my power is knowledge absorption. For instance, I can tell you that you and Kiku came in here exactly 2 minutes and 3.7 seconds ago."

The pretty brunette stood up too. "Hi!" she said, shaking Feli's hand. "I'm Bella Verhoog, and I represent Belgium. My power is that I can make people sleepy or confused." She pointed to the room that she had come out of, where the soft snores of the blonde girl could be heard.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, Lovino was walking with Alfred, the American boy talking nineteen to the dozen, while Lovino tried not to show that he had no idea what Alfred was talking about.

"So," Alfred asked, turning to Lovino. "What's your gift?"

Lovino answered by throwing the envelope that he held up in the air, and staring at it until it stayed suspended there. Alfred wolf-whistled, and Lovino felt quite pleased with himself for mastering his ability so soon. Then Alfred said: "I have super strength, which means I can do THIS!" and he picked up Lovino by his shoulder.

"Hey!" shouted Lovino, struggling against the taller boy. Alfred dropped him unceremoniously on the floor. They had arrived at a door labeled: FIRE 1.

"Home sweet home." Sighed Alfred, pushing open the door. He stepped into the room, which looked like a dorm. Alfred pulled Lovino in after him, before shouting at the top of his voice: "DORM MEETING, EARTH DORM, NOW!"

A very disgruntled looking boy with green eyes and huge eyebrows poked his head into the room.

"Keep your voice down, you bloody git! Some of us are trying to sleep here! Besides, the teachers just came round for lights out! Where the bloody hell where you?"

Alfred beamed at the British boy. "Thanks for covering for me, Iggy! Lovino, this is Arthur; he's a medic."

"Don't call me that." Grumbled the Brit, before retracting his head to relay the message to the rest of his dorm.

* * *

A couple of minutes later, Lovino was sitting on a bed in what he supposed was the Earth dormitory. The room was furnished much like his own, only it was a bit bigger. There were four beds, and in a small sectioned-off area was a fifth.

It was obvious that the room's occupants possessed elemental gifts; one end of the room was sweltering hot, while the other was Ice-cold. Even weirder, the ground beneath one of the beds was covered in _grass_, and all sorts of plants covered the walls. The fourth visible bed looked relatively normal, and this was one where he was sat. Posters of travel destinations covered the walls, as well as a couple of maps, and a few pictures of two boys.

Lovino was squished between Alfred and one of the boys in the pictures. He assumed it was his bed. The boy was wearing a mask that covered half his face, and held a pet cat on his lap. He looked about 15.

Alfred stood up and addressed the 16 occupants of the room, all in various forms of nightclothes.

"Okay dudes, this is Lovino Vargas! He and his brother arrived here this afternoon- they're the Italian reps! To make it easier for him, I suggest we all do an introduction. He already knows me, cause I'M THE HERO! So let's start with Sadiq!" and he pointed to the boy on Lovino's left.

"Hello, I'm Sadiq Adnan, and I represent the country of Turkey." The masked boy shoved the tortoiseshell cat off onto the bed, and stood up. "My gift is the Manipulation of sand." And he drew out a small pouch from his pocket. Sprinkling some sand on the floor, Lovino watched as it formed a circle, and Sadiq stepped into it, and immediately turned into sand himself.

Lovino stared as the sand rose up to once again form the boy's body. Alfred clapped as Sadiq sat down on the bed and then said: "next!"

What Lovino had previously thought was Sadiq's pet sprang up from its place on the bed. Before Lovino's astonished eyes, it became a brown haired teenager, who introduced himself as Heracles Karpusi before turning back into the tortoiseshell cat and promptly falling asleep.

They progressed further round the circle, Lovino becoming more and more amazed every time someone gave a demonstration of their powers. Ivan and Antonio controlled Fire and Ice, Arthur was a healer, Im could create a dozen copies of himself, while Lukas summoned spirits. These were just a couple of the amazing talents that there were, and lovino found himself longing for his brother's calming presence.

Finally the circle reached Ludwig and the other boy from earlier. Lovino bristled with anger, but the blond calmly introduced himself, showing no signs that he had already met Lovino. The other boy was an albino. His name was Gilbert and he was Ludwig's brother. Alfred turned to Lovino and said "Like you and Feli, these two are the joint representatives of Germany. Ludwig can wield any weapon perfectly, and gilbert can go through solid things."

"And what do you do, if I may ask?" said Arthur. Lovino nodded and then stood up. "I can fly." He said.

* * *

**a/n: i just wanted to say that there is a full list of characters and powers on my profile, and also, i will be writing a separate fic with missing moments from this one, so if you have any scenes you would like to see (you can make them up if wanted) please review or PM me.**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6- the next day

After a good night's sleep, Lovino followed Im Yong, the South Korean boy, to the cafeteria. It was a slightly awkward walk, with Im talking nineteen to the dozen about this and that and how everything, ever, was invented in Korea. When they arrived in the cafeteria, Im Yong went too sit with A very irate-looking Chinese boy, and Lovino, while glad to rid of the incessant chatter, was left standing in the middle of the doorway, unsure of where to sit.

Antonio, the Spanish boy whom Lovino had met yesterday, came in while Lovino was loading up his plate full of food. He addressed the slightly lost Italian.

"Ola Lovino!" he said cheerfully, motioning to the table where Sadiq and Heracles sat. "Do you want to come and sit with us?"

And so, when Feliciano walked in ten minutes later, He saw Lovino sitting with three boys he'd never seen before. Personally, he thought that the tall one with the mask on looked a bit scary. But if Lovino liked them, then that was good enough for Feli.

Lovino meanwhile, had finished his plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, and was hungrily eyeing the fat juicy tomato on Antonio's plate.

"Do you want some?" The Spaniard asked, and Lovino nodded shyly. "Tomatoes are my favourite food!" he exclaimed, while Antonio loaded up his plate.

"Mine too!" Antonio chuckled. "I have a tomato plant in my room; it was a present from Francis. these are freshly picked!" Lovino looked at his plate, suddenly feeling suspicious of the tomatoes. Antonio tilted his head on one side.

"What's wrong, Lovino? Don't you like them?"

Lovino mumbled something incoherent.

"What?"

"Francis tried to flirt with me last night." The boy sounded thoroughly grumpy about it. Sadiq and Heracles burst into laughter, and Antonio grinned and patted Lovino on the back, saying

"Don't worry Amigo, Francis flirts with everyone. That's just who he is!"

Lovino still looked grumpy, but returned to eating his tomatoes.

At that moment Feliciano came over.

"Good morning fratello!" he shouted, nearly knocking over Sadiq's pineapple juice in his haste to hug Lovino. The older boy rescued the choking Italian by saying; "you must be Feliciano! Welcome to The Hetalia academy! I'm Sadiq, and this is Heracles." He nudged his friend, who looked up from his Fried fish to wave friendlily at Feli.

While Feli was busy giving the Turkish and Greek boys a hug, Antonio leant over to Lovino.

"So, what lesson do you have after assembly?" he asked, and Lovino consulted his timetable.

"I have… Maths." He folded his timetable up and slipped it back inside his bag (which Ludwig had collected from his house).

"And I have English! Ve~!" Feli skipped away, happy that his grumpy elder brother had finally made some new friends.

"Why does he say that?" asked Heracles, smoothing out his shirt. Lovino watched the retreating form of his brother, shaking his head slowly.

"I have no idea."

Ten minutes later, they were sitting in assembly, while headmaster Roma talked about the weekend.

"And although it is almost unheard of for all the teachers to leave at once, an extremely important matter has come up. We will be leaving Ludwig, Roderich and Elizaveta in charge. I hope you three can manage. Arthur, you'll be in charge of any medical difficulties, but we'll only be away for a few hours. I wish I didn't have to leave you, children, but it is the only way for this school to continue the way it is, in safety."

His words had made a profound effect on the children, and there was a silence in the hall where the forty-odd students sat.

Then Mr Roma cleared his throat, (Jolting Heracles awake from where he'd fallen asleep on Sadiq), and announced that there were two new students. Lovino froze in his seat when Roma said, "Will Lovino and Feliciano Vargas please stand up?" Swallowing, he was tugged up by Feli, the younger beaming at the students who had turned to look at them.

"These boys will be in fire and air respectively. I expect all their dorm members to be welcoming and accepting towards them. Lovino is 12, and Feliciano is 11, and I would like someone from each of their classes to lead them to their lessons for the next few days, to help them settle in. Any volunteers?"

Next to Lovino, Antonio's hand shot in the air, and a few rows in front, he could see a small boy practically jumping in his seat.

Roma smiled. "Okay! Peter and Antonio! That's all for today! Dismissed!"

There was a great scraping of chairs as everyone stood up and left the hall.

Feli could see a small boy in a blue tie waving at him through the crowd. He ran over, and the boy, who couldn't have been more than ten, introduced himself.

"Hi there! My name is Peter! And we're in the same class!"

Feli smiled. Peter was cute!

"Ve~," he asked, holding out his hand to shake. "How old are you, Peter?"

The boy puffed out his chest proudly.

"I'm nine." He stated "and I'm the co-representative of the United Kingdom, along with Arthur _Jerk_land over there." He looked down for a moment, and then perked up again. "Come on! Let's go to English!" And He and Feli raced down the hall to their first class.


	7. Chapter 7- the naming of Gilbird

30/01/2015

Chapter Seven- the naming of Gilbird

**Whoops… this was supposed to be a funny chapter, but it turned into really depressing backstory…**

**Still don't own Hetalia:(**

* * *

By the time a few weeks had rolled around, Gilbert Beilschmidt, self-proclaimed Prussian and all-round awesome guy, was thoroughly confused. This new boy had only been a part of their class for half a month, and yet he already hated Gilbert!

In fact, Lovino seemed to have a pretty fixed opinion of most of the class. He stuck firmly to Antonio, kept a respectful distance from Arthur, Avoided Francis like the plague (Gilbert was pretty sure he knew why), and seemed to absolutely hate Gilbert and Matthias! Oh, and he liked Bella.

Gilbert chuckled to himself as he walked down the narrow path that led to the shed where the pets were kept. He slipped inside, and ran to the little cage that contained his birthday present from Elizaveta- a chick. It was only a few days old, and being the busy person that he was, Gilbert had yet to think of a name for it.

"How about naming it after someone who is special to you? A close relative of yours, or the person you look up to the most." Came an almost-whisper from the shadows. Heracles walked slowly towards Gilbert, a couple of the stray cats that made the shed their home following him like usual. Gilbert jumped, not having seen the Greek there. He coughed and smoothed down his uniform. It wouldn't do his reputation any good if he were seen cooing over a chick!

Instead he considered what the brown-haired boy had said. Someone he thought was awesome… hmmm…

"Yeah!" he said, after a moment's pause. "Gilbert would be an awesome name! For this awesome chicken, of course!" Heracles sighed.

"That's not what I meant" he began to say, but he was cut off as the German had another brainwave.

"Or how about- GILBIRD! Ja! That's so awesome! It's like, you know! A play on words!" shouted the albino, looking very pleased with himself. He leant down to stroke the chick again.

"I am a genius. Awesome!" as an afterthought, he turned to face Heracles once more.

"What do you think of the new kid?" he asked.

"Which new kid?" Sadiq had joined them, and Gilbert glared at him suspiciously. It was common knowledge that Sadiq was very proud of the trained hawk that he had inherited from his grandfather, but from here it looked like that curved beak could do serious damage. Not that he was worried about himself, of course, he simply wanted to make sure that the newly-named Gilbird wasn't in any danger of being eaten. Ja, that was it.

"Lovino! He's just so- so- unawesome!" Gilbert pronounced, still eyeing the hawk on Sadiq's arm. The older boy raised one eyebrow, then glanced at Heracles, who appeared to have fallen asleep standing up. But then again, he was half cat… he turned back to gilbert.

"is that seriously all you can say?"

"Oh, I like him." came the sudden comment. Apparently Heracles wasn't asleep. "He's nice." Gilbert rolled his eyes at the two teens.

"Wow. You guys are weird."

And he turned and walked awesomely through the wall.

Heracles watched him go, and then turned to his friend.  
"We should go. We have Drama next, and Mr Roma wont be happy if we miss that." Sadiq sighed, and turned back the way he had come, saying,

"Just let me put Sultan back in his cage. I'll join you there."

* * *

Heracles didn't talk much, but he observed. He knew that The German was wary of Sadiq. But then again, who wouldn't be? The Turk's white mask tended to give him an aura of mystery. But he liked it that way. Sadiq had never been the most social person, and he didn't talk much, not even to Heracles. The Greek also saw that their new friend Lovino was uncomfortable with the fact that he had had to leave his old life in Italy, where he had grown up.

Heracles himself had been orphaned at the age of ten, and had wandered the streets of Athens as a cat for a few years before he had been found by Sadiq from the academy. The two had quickly become friends, and that friendship had kept them together through thick and thin. Sadiq had found someone to talk to, and Heracles had found someone to trust at last.

Many people thought that Heracles was weird for liking the sinister Turk, but the boy knew something that not many people did. Sadiq's white mask concealed a jagged scar, running from above one eye to below the other. His friend had never told him exactly _how _it had happened, but he didn't seem at all eager to talk about it. But Heracles let him have his secret, and Sadiq thanked him for not prying.

What Sadiq didn't know, however, was that the Greek boy also had a secret. Heracles had once had a sister.

Her name was Hera, and when their parents had died, victims of ruthless killers hunting for gifted, they had fled together, into Athens. After a few days with no food or shelter, they had had run, exhausted, into the same gang. Panicking, Heracles had turned and fled, but Hera had turned back, shouting

"I'll be right behind you! Run!"

And in a moment of cowardice, he had run, through the streets of Greece's capital city.

He had found her body the next day.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8- In which the plot is introduced

**nope, still dont own it! sorry for taking so long to update, i've decided to wait until i've finished at least 3 chapters in advance before I update again...**

**enjoy!**

* * *

The days passed quickly for Lovino.

Along with maths, he had English with the lovely miss Lili, geography, history, languages, art, science, and the lesson he always looked forward to the most- P.E

The fifth lesson, Mr Beilschmidt (who was not only the deputy headmaster, but also the gym teacher and head of Fire), took them running. Within the school grounds, just outside the campus, was a leafy green forest, with a clear path running through it. This was where he brought the class, splitting them into twos and telling them to run for as far and long as they could. He blew his whistle and they took off. Lovino had been partnered with Alfred, whose unusual talent gave him extra strength and stamina, but even the American had a hard time keeping up with him.

Lovino loved running. When he was younger and growing up in Italy, he would often go out into the hills and run for hours through the greenness. He would come back trailing bugs and sticks, with leaves in his hair. However, after years of school and not being able to run as often as he thought, he relished the thought of doing this regularly. It was just another thing he loved about his new school.

However, disaster struck within the first ten minutes. Alfred had put on a burst of speed and overtaken the Italian, and Lovino was so focused on getting him back that he didn't notice an unfortunate root, which stood right in his path. He went flying off course, careering into what looked like a bush. However, he got all the air knocked out of him when he slammed into a wooden wall.

Alfred skidded round after hearing the crash, and, after helping the injured Italian up, peered through the dusty window. There was a brief scuffle inside before a man popped his head out, scowling at the two boys, who stood there, winded.

"What are you doing here?" asked the man, who was unkempt and unshaven, and wearing a dusty grey uniform of sorts.

"Running." Answered Alfred, always quick to challenge anyone. "What are you doing?"

"I'm the… caretaker. And I'm very busy, so clear off! Go on! Get out!" He pushed the two students away from the hut, Lovino leaning on Alfred because his ankle was swelling up.

"Cool. Dude, I never knew we had a Caretaker!" he exclaimed, as they set off back to the start. However, with Lovino limping and having to stop every few minutes, it took them a long time, and eventually Alfred just picked Lovino up and carried him the rest of the way.

They arrived back 50 minutes later to be greeted by a very angry Mr Beilschmidt and a worried-looking Antonio.

"Where have you two been?" growled the teacher. Alfred deposited Lovino on Antonio, and turned to face his head of house.

"Well sorry, sir." He said sarcastically, motioning to his classmate. "But I had to carry Lovino here back, after he SPRAINED HIS ANKLE. So forgive me if it took a little longer than expected."

And he stormed off in the direction of the school.

Mr Beilschmidt's gaze softened as he took in Lovino's swollen ankle. He turned to Antonio.

"Could you take him to the first- aid room? I will notify your teachers that you won't be in for your next lesson." Antonio nodded and took Lovino's hand, guiding him back to the school.

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE KIDS WERE HERE?"

"I-I…"

The boss took a moment to calm down, pinching the bridge of his nose. Finally he turned to his accomplice, speaking slowly and pointedly.

"You do realise, that I have been working on this plan for 11 years."

His accomplice nodded timidly, knowing what was coming.

"And If only ONE of the brats from the school finds out, and reports it to their _snivelling _headmaster…"

"Sir!"

The boss turned, eyes blazing with the fury of being interrupted.

"WHAT?" he shouted at the newcomer, who bravely stood her ground.

"We've finished the completion process, sir." She announced, glancing down at a clipboard in her hand. "We should be ready to detonate in about 3 weeks."

"Three weeks…" murmured the boss, glancing back to his accomplice. "That's too long."

"Well sir, if we remodified the external casing, then we might get it done in two and a half…"

"One."

"Sir?"

"I want it ready to test in one week." The boss glared at his subordinate. "For in precisely one week, all the staff are leaving the school, to prepare themselves for a _possible _attack. Take a couple of the kids, and we can test it on them."

"Yes sir." Answered the woman, and turned sharply on her heel, walking out of the room.

"Don't mess up this time."

* * *

"Ehhh… switch?"

"What?"

"Good job Feliciano-kun! We win again. Hand over the cards, please, Ludwig-san."

"Fine." Ludwig grouchily slapped his hand of cards down on the table, and got to his feet. "I'm going to the gym"

"W-wha?" blinked Feliciano, the young Italian scrambling to his feet after the German. "Why?"

"Training." Answered the elder boy, before striding out of the dorm without a backwards glance.

Kiku frowned at his friend's brusque demeanour, and he got up to follow him, tucking the cards neatly back in their pack. "I'll be back soon." He told the crestfallen boy beside him, as he exited the dorm, and made his way to the gym.

He arrived to see Ludwig furiously hacking the head off one of the training dummies with a blunt sword. Kiku waited patiently until the Figurine had been completely obliterated, before stepping forward and laying a slender pale hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Ludwig-san?"

The German jumped at the sudden contact, but after he'd assured himself it was just Kiku, he turned away again, grabbing another practice dummy, and preparing to rip this one to pieces as well.

Kiku coughed softly, alerting his friend to the fact that he was, in fact, still there. As the German turned once more, Kiku concentrated on the ice-blue eyes, trying to see what was bothering his elder friend.

But Ludwig had known the Japanese boy too long to be fooled by that. Quickly covering his eyes, he grabbed a cloth and whetstone to sharpen his sword, and sat down on the gym floor.

"What do you want, Kiku."

Kiku sighed internally, and sat down next to him, crossing his legs neatly, and sitting perfectly straight, as he looked his friend in the eyes.

"Ludwig-san… I-I knows it's hard for you to accept Feliciano as a part of our group. But his brother and he are still very new here, a-and…"

Ludwig feigned a look of surprise. "What?" he said, stumbling over his words a bit "Why would you say that? I'm not- I just need to practise for tomorrow's competition! Matthias said-" his rant was cut off by Kiku who was looking at his elder friend with an incredulous look on his face.  
"Ludwig- san, you are already _perfect _at any type of weaponry! Especially hand held weapons! You hit Lovino-san square in the chest! While he was moving!"

Unfortunately, this didn't seem to calm the German at all. On the contrary, when Kiku said the last part, He grew noticeably more agitated, and Kiku didn't need to use his powers to see that Ludwig was uncomfortable with the subject of the Vargas' kidnapping. He sighed again, out loud this time. "Oh Ludwig," he said quietly. "you don't honestly think that Feli-kun hates you for bringing him here? It's obvious that the boy adores you! So come back right now, if you would please, and we'll forget all this."

Ludwig nodded, looking relieved, and together they walked back to Feli.

.

.

.


End file.
